Keeping the Balance
by heavenly.shades
Summary: Prequel to The Tilt. Contains slash & mpreg. Edward & Jacob. When the forces of darkness decides its time has come, a being of light does the unthinkable to keep the balance. Will these two work together to ensure this world's future? Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Hi there and welcome to my Twiverse!

Author's Note: This story is set +/- 1 year after the end of Breaking Dawn. So the events of Stephenie Meyer's books have taken place except for a few details which I have changed. And this is a continuation of sorts :-) I have made it an Edward / Jacob slash fic by getting rid of Bella and Nessie. Oh and it's an mpreg too :-D I will say it here in capitals: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING YOU RECOGNISE, IT BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE WHO OWN IT AND I HAVE MERELY TAKEN IT AND TWISTED IT FOR MY OWN AMUSEMENT! There, now I won't be repeating it at the beginning of each new chapter because that is redundant. All those who don't like slash or mpreg: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED SO **SHOVE OFF! **For the others, I hope once you have read my story you will leave me a review because they are simply _wondrous_.

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Keeping the Balance:

Chapter 1 – This one – which gives an outline of the story itself.

Chapter 2 – Nessie's Death – wherein Nessie is killed and the lives of Forks' supernatural beings is forever changed.

Chapter 3 – Bella's Revenge – wherein Bella wants revenge for her daughter's, husband's and best friend's deaths but her attempt is futile.

Chapter 4 – Ed's Awakening – wherein Ed wakes up, dazed and confused; confusing both the vampires and the shapeshifters with his questions.

Chapter 5 – Jake's Charge – wherein Jake is put in charge of another's life after tragedy strikes at his place of refuge.

Chapter 6 – Alice's Possession – wherein Alice is possessed and calls a meeting between the Cullens and shapeshifters to explain things.

Chapter 7 – Sam's Abdication – wherein Sam abdicates his position of power and Jacob and Edward 'fight'.

Chapter 8 – Billy's Acceptance – wherein Billy accepts what has happened, promising to support his son no matter what.

Chapter 9 – Carlisle's Concern – wherein Carlisle is concerned about Edward's strange behaviour and actions, causing a shocking truth to be revealed.

Chapter 10 – Sarah's Arrival – wherein Sarah arrives amidst bloodshed; and things become more complicated.

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Author's Note: All you need to do now is click on the button that will take you to the next chapter and the beginning of an interesting story (I sincerely hope you find it at least mildly so) through the first part of my trilogy:

1. Keeping the Balance (this one obviously)

2. The Tilt (so far 6 short stories that have already been posted)

3. Equilibrium (I still have to write this one)

Go forth, read, *enjoy* and review!

Her Ladyship, HEAVENLY_SHADES

PS This is way later than I would have liked but the words to this story just would not come. So I took my time writing it so that it would be perfect. Although I doubt it is!


	2. Chapter 2 Nessie's Death

Chapter 2 – Nessie's Death

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It seemed like only yesterday that the Volturi had been there about Renesmee. But in actual fact it had been just over a year. And in that time the lives of those concerned had settled into a peaceful existence. The vampires and shapeshifters continued to keep their distance from each other, except for a small pack of three shifters. These three had walked away from the confrontation with an alliance to both the main shapeshifter pack and the Cullen vampire coven. It was all due to the alpha having imprinted on the half-breed daughter of one of the vampires. Taking this into account the Elders of La Push were now in talks with the leader of the Cullen coven to amend the treaty. It would still ensure the safety of the humans in the area but might, amongst other things; allow the vampires onto land that they were previously banned from. Thus far it was proving to be a slow process, though soon their lives would get more interesting.

For the darkness had decided its time had come and had set in motion a plan that would tip the scales in their favour. This is the story of that tilt and the attempt at keeping the balance until equilibrium is reached.

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EC POV

I was standing outside the cottage that my family and I called home; trying to think happy thoughts but my mind kept drifting back to that damn smelly dog, his stench was everywhere as if to stake his claim on the area. Earlier that evening when Jacob arrived to visit my daughter; I had gone hunting because even though I knew there was nothing I could do to get rid of the mutt; I still wished to keep them apart. It had been bad enough when I had to fight the wolf over Bella but now I had to do the same with my daughter! Why did Fate or whatever was out there hate me so much?!? I was so lost in thought that I did not notice Bella sneaking up on me until she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're back love. Nessie's waiting for her lesson and I'm off with Alice and Rosalie. Remember your promise." And with a peck to my cheek she was off to meet up with my sisters to go hunting.

After an argument with her about Jacob, in the presence of Nessie who had burst into tears, I had promised to keep my thoughts and feelings concerning the shapeshifter to myself. I never wanted to be the reason my daughter cried ever again. Heading inside I had to smile when I saw her already seated at the piano; she had practically begged me to teach her to play. Not that I minded because for the duration of the lesson her attention was solely on me. We had been so wrapped up in the lesson that I only realised that there had been a howl after it was done.

"Daddy who was that?" Nessie was looking at me expectantly and I could see the worry in her eyes.

"I'm not sure. How bout I drop you at your grandparents and then I go check?"

"But I wanna go too! What if it's Jake?" She was just as stubborn as her mother. Sighing, "Renesmee that wolf sounded in agony and I'm not about to take you into a dangerous situation. Either we do it my way or we will stay here and continue our lesson. It's up to you."

She immediately jumped up and was waiting for me at the front door. "Daddy you're taking too long!" she moaned. So I ran at her, scooping her up into my arms and raced out the door to the main house.

When we got there Carlisle was standing on the porch, staring off into the direction of La Push. "Oh good! Edward I was wondering if you'd accompany me to check on the shapeshifters? I fear they are under attack."

Nodding to him, I placed Nessie on the porch and kneeled to speak to her. "I want you to stay with Esme until we get back, okay?" She reached out and placed her hand on my temple and I saw an image of me crouching in front of Jacob, protecting him from an attack. "I'll keep him safe, promise." Before standing I placed a kiss on her forehead, then turned to Carlisle and the two of us took off.

In keeping with the treaty, we didn't cross over into La Push but rather ran around the edge of the border looking for any signs of fighting. We didn't get very far before my cellphone started ringing.

Answering I was cut off by Bella, "Ed we're under attack! There are hundreds of them, come hel– ", it sounded like the phone had been destroyed.

Trying to get into contact with the others proved useless, "Nobody is answering their phones." I told Carlisle as we ran the way we came.

"You check the house and the cottage for Esme and Nessie; I will go to the girls." He replied and then we split up.

I ran as fast as I could, my thoughts whirling. Hundreds of vampires Bella had said but where had they come from? And were they responsible for the agony that wolf had been in? Finally I reached the house but a quick check showed that it was empty. A search of the cottage showed that it too was unoccupied. Where was Renesmee? And what the hell was going on? After deciding to look for Bella, I headed out into the forest only to be stopped in my tracks by my mother's thoughts; she was calling out to me. So I ran as fast as I could until I found her.

Seeing me she said, "They took her Edward! I was trying to fend them off but there were so many of them. And then they took her, dragged her off somewhere. I am so sorry son. Help me find my other arm and then we can go after them."

By the looks of her clothing I could see that they had ripped both of her arms and both her legs off as well. Sadistic bastards! When I get my hands on them I am going to rip them to shreds. Looking around I found her arm under one of the bodies, they were all _human_.

"They're human?" I asked in astonishment.

"To some degree yes but . . . they are not normal humans." Once her arm was reattached she started searching for something else. I waited impatiently until she found what she was looking for, a halberd. "Uhm Esme, what exactly are you going to do with that?"

"I'm sure it will prove to be more effective at killing them than trying to get close enough to break their necks. Come, they went this way."

We ran but not at our fastest because we had to keep an eye on their trail. Until we finally caught up with them, "You get Nessie and run, I have a score to settle with them."

Nodding my agreement I got into a position to grab Nessie while she prepared to attack. As soon as I had my daughter in my arms I ran. When we were a good distance away I put her on the ground and then checked her for injuries, thankfully there were none. I was holding her in a tight hug when I heard a noise behind us and as I turned I heard Esme scream my name but it was too late. I suddenly became aware of a spear of some sorts piercing through myself and Nessie.

"Edward?" Esme was there to help me to the ground, "Nessie?"

"I'm . . . okay.", came a small voice from within my arms.

"Esme . . . . please fetch Carlisle . . hurry!"

"Of course, I'll be right back. Try not to move." It was awkward sitting like this but that wasn't important, I had to make sure that we would be alright. I took a moment to look at the thing sticking out of our bodies. It was a harpoon!

"Daddy?" Nessie looked up at me and I could see the tears running down her cheeks.

How I wish I could cry. Those bastards are going to pay for all that they have put my family through. I would not rest until I've hunted them all down and made them suffer. "Its okay sweetie, your grandfather will be here soon and then he is going to remove this thing from us."

"Can't you take it out Daddy, it's so uncomfortable and it hurts." She pleaded with me.

"I'm sorry but I can't." I shifted a bit in the hopes of making her more comfortable when suddenly I became aware of someone walking out from between the trees towards them. "Don't move or say anything," I whispered to her.

"Well well well, look who I found!" I cringed at the malice in the man's voice. "Seems I get to have the honour of destroying you." He sneered.

I hoped he wasn't paying attention and slowly backed away. My heart sank as I realised the human knew but was just standing there watching. I was shocked when a ball of light appeared in his hand and he flung it at us. Everything after that seemed to go in slow motion. I saw the man smile in triumph. A movement at the corner of my eye made me realise that I could smell Jacob quite clearly. In my arms Nessie whimpered, then through the hand on my cheek she showed me the same image as earlier. I was crouching in front of Jacob, protecting him from an attack but this time the word PROMISE reverberated through my skull.

Then the ball of light hit Nessie and she disintegrated before my very eyes. I on the other hand was flung into the tree behind me by the force of the impact. Then everything went black.

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JB POV

I had just gotten home from spending time with Nessie and was taking a quick shower before going to bed. Rinsing myself off, I heard the most heart breaking, spine chilling sound I'd ever heard. I knew there was no way I would ever forget the sound of a fellow shapeshifter howling with so much pain. And before I could comprehend what was happening, I was racing towards the sound having already phased. I felt Leah and Seth as they approached me, she had been up reading and he had been asleep but they had both heard the howl.

'Who was that?' Seth wanted to know.

'I think its Paul.' I answered, hoping the temperamental wolf was still alive. We burst into a clearing to see several humans surrounding a figure on the ground. It was Paul and he was covered in blood, mostly his own. Each of the humans had sickle shaped weapons in their hands. Before I had time to assess the situation and come up with a plan; Leah was launching herself at them, teeth bared in fury at what they had done. Seth too attacked, wanting to take them down as quickly as possible so that we could get Paul to safety. It was then that I became aware of how . . . alive the trees around us seemed to be. After that realization hit, I saw that we were surrounded, there were so many of them. Who were these people? What did they want with us? And why do I get the distinct feeling that their goal is the eradication of all the shapeshifters in the area? Possibly the eradication of all shapeshifters everywhere, if there were others that is. I suddenly wished we had a way of contacting the Cullens; the wolves had helped them in their time of need, and maybe they would be willing to return the favour. Knowing we were heavily outnumbered, I pushed all thought aside and fought against the humans alongside my pack members. We kept a tight circle around Paul, protecting him from the final blow that would take him from this world. My instincts soon took over so that I didn't have to think about what I was doing; every leap, evasive jump, and snap of jaws was natural. _The survival of the many outweighs the survival of the one._ In the back of my mind I was aware that Sam and his pack were fighting to get through to us. We needed to keep fighting, surely the humans would get the picture that we wolves would not just roll over and die. We would never surrender!

With my body attacking and defending on its own, I had a chance to observe the battle. And that's when I realized that the humans were not in fact trying to kill us. No, this felt more like a distraction but a distraction from what? Or whom? Even the location seemed as if it had been chosen for a specific reason. I suddenly stood dead still; this spot was on the other side of La Push, the side opposite to the Cullen residence. What if these people were here for the Cullens? What if at this moment Nessie was being attacked, harmed or worse yet killed while I was here?

'Go to her Jacob! We will be fine.' Leah interrupted my thoughts and startled me at the same time.

I had forgotten where I was, forgotten about the blood being spilled all around us. Suddenly it felt as if someone had their hand around my heart and was squeezing it tightly. Whimpering in pain and wanting to claw my heart out so that it would stop, I collapsed onto the ground.

'Jacob! You need to go and protect your mate. That is what that pain is, she is in danger. Go now, we can handle these humans.' I have not felt Sam in my head since that day so long ago that I had broken away from the other pack.

I started running the moment Sam mentioned that Nessie was in danger, not needing further encouragement. It was as if she was calling to me, begging me to protect and save her, so I pushed myself to run as fast as my wolf body would go. I was sure that if anyone had been awake at that time and had looked outside they would have only seen a streak of brown. Before I knew it I was in front of the huge house in the forest, there was absolutely no sign of any of the vampires. Checking the cottage turned up the same result, there was no one there. I started pacing in front of the cottage wondering if maybe I was overreacting and there was nothing wrong with Nessie. But what of the pain I had had in my chest? It could have been a panic attack.

The quiet of the night was suddenly filled with what sounded like a tree being ripped out of the ground. I took off in that direction immediately and as I got closer to what smelled like Emmett I caught her scent.

Slowing down I sniffed the area, her scent seemed to be everywhere. Following my nose, I passed through parts of the forest that would never be the same again, until I got to the edge of a small clearing. What I saw shocked me, Edward was on his knees with his daughter in his arms, and there was some kind of spear sticking through the both of them. She was crying, and I knew that if the vampire could he would be too. She looked to be begging her father to remove it but he was shaking his head and said something to try and calm her. Probably waiting for Doctor Carlisle Cullen to show up and make everything better.

I could probably hear what they were saying but it didn't register in my brain, nothing seemed to be making it pass the shock of seeing my mate in pain. I was frozen, unable to move or do anything else. I was relieved because there was Nes, with her very overprotective father and none of those humans in sight. This meant that everything would be alright; we would make it through the night. I suddenly had a strong urge to hug her, to hold her to me and never let go. But before my brain could send out the message to get my body to move; a figure stepped out into the clearing facing Edward and Renesmee.

"Well well well, look who I found!" I could hear the malice in the man's voice. "Seems I get to have the honour of destroying you." He sneered while Edward slowly backed away from the human. I knew I had to do something to help them but what? The human was just standing there watching as Edward tried to leave, tried to protect his daughter.

I was inching closer on my belly when the human threw a ball of light at them. I could only look on in horror as it hit Nessie full on, disintegrating her immediately and sprinkling her father in what could only be her remains. Edward was flung into the tree behind him by the force of the impact and now lay at the base of the tree unmoving. Knowing that nothing I did was ever going to bring her back to me, I sprang into action. Grabbing the human around his fragile neck and, using the powerful muscles of my jaw, snapped it. When I was certain the human was dead I trotted over to check on the leech, who seemed to be surrounded by a golden halo. Stopping two feet from him, I was suddenly blinded by a bright white light.

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In the distance, standing on a branch of a tree stood a man. The man was smiling because he had arrived in time to salvage this world's only hope. And just as suddenly as he appeared, he disappeared to the sounds of a horn being blown.

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Author's note: I will be updating weekly (hopefully) because I am having difficulty concentrating on this story and the words just won't come. I sincerely hope you've enjoyed this chapter, review if necessary; even if it is to tell me I should quit writing! And thanks to shadoworld for beta-ing this chapter, MWAH luv ya!


	3. Chapter 3 Bella's Revenge

Chapter 3 – Bella's Revenge

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IC POV

Carlisle and I were finishing off the last of the people in our area when Esme came running towards us, lopping off the heads of the last remaining two men with a strange weapon. "Carlisle, Edward and Renesmee are in need of your help. Follow me, we need to hurry." With that said she was off again and we had no other choice but to follow.

Surely whatever was wrong could not be that bad. What could humans do to vampires? But whatever it was must be serious for Esme to be in such a hurry. When we got to a small clearing, she came to a stop looking around expectantly. I did the same, noticing the body of a man lying nearby and gasped when I saw Edward lying at the base of the tree with some sort of spear through his abdomen. "EDWARD!?!" I hadn't meant to scream but the shock was just too much.

What was strangest about his appearance was that he seemed to be glowing when I first saw him but now it was slowly fading. At that moment the sound of a horn being blown could be heard in the distance but we ignored it as the three of us rushed to his side. He wasn't moving nor was he breathing but vampires didn't need to breathe. So how would we tell if he was alive or not! Carlisle was checking him for any other wounds but there were none. I sat on the ground with my husband's hand in mine, watching as Carlisle started to bend the harpoon, that's what he was calling it, back and forth trying to break it in half so that we could slide it out of Edward.

Eventually when he had succeeded he turned to me, "Bella I should get him back to the house. I need you to let go of his hand and help Esme look for any signs of what might have happened to Nessie. Okay?" I didn't want to let go of him but I knew I had to. It was important that we find Renesmee, those humans could have taken her and I wanted her back. I kissed his forehead and ran my fingers through his hair before letting go of his hand and standing up. Carlisle picked Edward up and threw him over his shoulder. "If I see any of the others, I will send them to help you." and then he left.

Once he was gone, I walked over to the body and saw that he had had his neck snapped by an animal. "Judging from the teeth marks I would say it was a wolf, probably one of the shifters." Esme observed from over my shoulder. "I bet its Jacob, and that Nessie is probably with him." I replied. "None the less we should check the area; we need to know which way they went." She said. We checked the clearing and found the wolf's paw prints but they were only leading into the clearing and not out. There was also no sign of anybody else entering or leaving the clearing. So where was Nessie? And what happened to the wolf? "I think Bella that we should return to the house and inform Carlisle of this. He might have some idea as to what happened here." "I think that's a good idea. It's not like there is a trail for us to follow." With that we left the clearing, running in the direction of the house.

_H_S_

Carlisle arrived at the house to see his other children sitting on the porch. As he approached them he noticed that they were all clean and had changed their clothing. He walked past them into the house and laid Edward flat on the ground. Before any of them could say anything he wanted to know a few things, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be defending the land? Aren't there humans out there wanting to kill us? And have any of you seen or heard Renesmee?" Alice was the quickest, "I'm not sure if you heard them blow that horn but it must have been some kind of signal to retreat because after that they all left. Rose and I gave chase but they didn't seem interested in fighting us. It was as if they had accomplished whatever it was they had set out to do. They were no longer a threat to us so we let them go and returned here, the boys arrived soon after. While waiting for the rest of the family we cleaned ourselves up. I don't know about Em and Jazz but we didn't see Nessie at all. Did you guys see her?" Both boys shook their heads no and Emmett asked the question they all wanted to know the answer to, "What's wrong with Ed?"

Carlisle answered to the best of his ability, "I have no idea. When we found him he had a harpoon through his abdomen and from the look of the tree he was laying next to, I'd say he was thrown into it. He's been like this ever since, what's puzzling is that he was the last one with Nessie but there was no sign of her. Esme and Bella stayed behind to check the area. I almost forgot I promised to send them help." "That won't be necessary love, we didn't find anything. There are no signs of other humans having entered the clearing. That man was killed by a wolf but there is no sign of the shapeshifter either. It's like they just disappeared." Bella had seated herself by Edward's prone body, his head in her lap. An idea came to Carlisle, "Jasper are you getting anything from Edward?" He stood with his head to the side, sifting through all the emotions in the room. "Nothing Carlisle, it's like he's dead." Bella sniffed and Alice spoke up again, "I don't see anything in his future either." Esme sighed and clung to her husband.

At that moment there was knocking at the door, Rosalie left the room to see who it could be at that time of the morning but returned soon after with a look of disgust on her face. "The wolves would like a word with the family. Alice get a robe for the female." They all made their way out the front door except for Bella who had stayed behind. Sam and Leah were the only two who had phased back into their human forms, he spoke before anybody else could, "We are sorry to interrupt but we thought we would extend our condolences to you and your family Dr. Cullen. We are sorry for your loss but –" Before he could continue Alice interrupted him, "What do you mean _our loss_?" Sam and Leah looked at each other in surprise, "Surely Edward has told you what happened?" Leah asked. "Edward isn't in any position to tell us anything.", Carlisle responded. "Oh!" was Leah's only response as Sam turned fully to her, "Maybe you should tell them what happened." but she was already shaking her head no. "Leah if you do not tell them, how are they going to know what happened?"

One of the other wolves, he had been standing slightly apart from the others before, came to stand next to her and nuzzled her hand. Looking down at him she sighed, "I will do it but I don't see why you can't." She dropped to the ground and buried her face in the wolf's fur wrapping her arms around him, sighing. She then began her story slowly, "As you know, when we are wolves we share our minds, so if one of us experiences or sees something, we all know of it. We were fighting those humans on the other side of La Push when Jacob's heart felt as if someone was squeezing it. Sam told him it was because Renesmee was in danger so he took off to help her. Eventually he came across her and Edward in a clearing but they had something through them, keeping them together. He was so shocked he couldn't move until it was too late. A human entered the clearing and threw a ball of light at them. It hit Nessie and then she was gone and the force of the attack knocked Edward into the tree behind him. Jacob attacked the human, breaking his neck and when that was done he checked on the leech. For some reason he was glowing a golden colour and as Jacob looked at him, there was a brilliant white light and then nothing. I couldn't . . . **we** couldn't feel Jacob anymore. Seth and I think someone must have snuck up behind him and through one of those balls of light at him."

With her story done, she looked up at the other alpha, wiping her tears away. Sam started speaking again, "We came here for several reasons, one of which was to extend our condolences for the loss of Renesmee, we hope Bella is okay. We also came to ask for your help Dr. Cullen, some of our brothers are in desperate need of medical attention. The other reason we are here is to ask permission to check the surrounding forest, although I know Leah is telling the truth, I would rather do a thorough search for Jacob. I hope that is alright with you?" Carlisle nodded as he answered, "Thank you very much for informing us of what happened Leah, we truly appreciate it. Jasper and I will head out to tend to your brothers. You and your pack are welcome to search as long as you wish." "Thank you. Jared will stay behind to lead you to the others." As he spoke, one of the wolves came forward. He then turned to Leah. "I think you and your brother should go home and rest, we will let you know what our search turns up." And with that he and his pack took off into the forest. Leah nodded in the vampires direction, seeming not to have any energy left in her body, then climbed onto the other wolf's back, he took off running in the direction of La Push. Esme had fetched Carlisle's medical supplies some time during the conversation and handed it to her husband. "If anything happens while we are gone, let us know." He said kissing her temple before following the remaining shapeshifter with Jasper beside him.

The remaining vampires stood and watched them until they were gone completely and then Alice asked "What if Edward is dead? It's not like we can check his pulse or if he is still breathing." "Don't think like that Alice! He is merely unconscious." Esme chastised her. "I didn't know vampires could be unconscious." Emmett commented, to which Rosalie punched him in the arm. They entered the house together to find Edward still on the floor but Bella was no where to be seen. After a quick search of the house and sending Emmett to check the cottage, they found that she was gone. "Her trail leads away from the house." Rosalie observed. "Perhaps you and Emmett should follow her to make sure she stays out of trouble Rosalie." Esme suggested and Rosalie nodded in consent, they took off into the forest to find her. Esme was checking Edward over when she heard Alice gasp, "I can't see Bella's future either."

_H_S_

IC POV

I stayed behind with Edward when the rest of the family left to hear what the wolves had to say. I didn't want to hear what they had to say but when Leah started describing things as Jacob saw it, I found myself drawn to the front door to listen. By the time she had finished I was shaking with anger. How dare those people invade our land and take my three most precious people away from me? How was I to go on without them? I was no longer angry but furious, I would make them pay for what they have done to me! As they were now discussing other things, I started pacing, I had to do something! When Carlisle and Jazz left with Jared I had already decided on my course of action.

If I hurried I would still be able to catch up to them by following their trail and then I would confront them! I will demand the answers to my questions, I need to know why they did this to me! And if they do not supply me with the information, I will make them! Before the rest of the family could enter the house, I kissed Edward lightly on his lips then left out the back heading to the cottage to change into clean clothes. Once that was done I took off into the forest, trying to find evidence of the direction in which they were traveling. It wasn't a hard thing to do seeing as how there were so many of them all traveling in the same direction. Once I knew vaguely where I was going, I ran as fast as I could in the hope of catching up to them. Hopefully it would be in a secluded area so that if it came down to it I could fight them undisturbed. As I ran the sky started to lighten as the sun started to rise but there was no need for me to worry for it was a rather cloudy day.

It wasn't long before I came across the tale end but they were not important, I needed to find the people in charge, so I put up a barrier around myself and kept running. Eventually there were too many of them for me to just run through, so I stopped and stood my ground. They immediately started attacking me and I defended as best I could, taking my frustrations out on them. I was taken by surprise when they stopped fighting and parted for a woman and two men to step out into the clearing they created by forming a circle around me. All three of them had the same tattoo as the man Jacob had killed, a symbol which I've never seen before at the corner of their right eye. They did not carry any weapons but I could feel the power radiating off of them. "What is it that you want Vampire?" the woman asked in a raspy voice.

_H_S_

Rosalie and Emmett followed Bella's trail until they finally caught up to her. Somehow she had fought her way through the humans and was now standing before what appeared to be their leaders, two men and a woman. The rest of the hundreds if not thousands of others formed a circle around them. Crouched in a tree, hidden from view, they were quite a distance away but could see and hear everything as clearly as if they were standing next to her.

"Why? Why did you kill them?" she demanded angrily. "We do not know of whom you speak Vampire." the woman remarked. Bella would not be deterred, "You people killed my daughter, my husband and my best friend! I want to know why, why did you do it?" Again the woman spoke, "We did not kill anyone and if you do not leave Vampire, we will make you leave." Bella snarled and ran at the woman but was thrown back by an invisible force; she used a barrier to stop herself from being thrown too far away or into something. "All I want to know is why, why did they have to die? Why did you just kill them? Why didn't you kill the rest of us? _Why didn't you kill me? __Why would you leave me alive when the very reason I live is no longer with me? WHY?_" As she spoke she walked closer to the three until she was within arms reach of the woman and then fell to her knees. "I can't even mourn their loss properly. I cannot cry for them. Please, please kill me and put me out of my misery. I cannot live without him, _I cannot live without my Edward_!" she was reduced to begging.

In their tree, Rosalie was livid; she could not believe that Bella would give up that easily. The three looked at each other, "If that is what you wish Vampire, we will end your suffering." A ball of light formed in the palm of the woman's hand, "This is your last chance to back out!" but Bella just shook her head no. She was staring at her wedding ring when the ball of light hit and then she was no more. Emmett had to grab his wife before she could reveal their presence, whispering to her "It's too late love, she's gone. It would be madness to attack them now; they could destroy us in seconds. We need to go home to tell the others what happened." He only released her after she nodded her agreement and then the two of them made their way back to Forks.


	4. Chapter 4 Ed's Awakening

Chapter 4 – Ed's Awakening

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EC POV

It's so difficult to tell exactly when you awake from sleep because one moment you are floating in dark blankness or is it blank darkness, which ever it may be and the next you are aware of your surroundings and in control of your senses. Sitting upright I realized the strangeness of the situation, I have not slept for more than a hundred years so how exactly could I be waking up. As I sat there contemplating what had happened to me, I became aware of the two heartbeats in the room; opening my eyes I saw Leah standing, staring out of one of the windows of my bedroom and Seth was seated on the floor leaning back against the couch with his eyes closed; from his breathing and heart rate I knew he was sleeping. "What are the two of you doing here?" Standing as I demanded an answer. They were shapeshifters, the sworn enemy of vampires and yet here they are, seemingly relaxed surrounded by vampires. Leah had whipped round to look at me wide eyed while Seth remained asleep. "They have been waiting for you to wake up Edward, we have all been waiting." Came the voice of my father from the door. "Why don't you wake Seth up Leah? Edward I think you should go hunt, you must be thirsty."

For some strange reason I was thirsty but how could that be? I had gone hunting the night before while Jacob was with Nessie. Nessie . . . she's . . . she's gone! Jacob! "Where is Jacob?" He had been there, in the trees on the edge of the clearing. "Did that man kill him?" I promised Nessie I would take care of him! "Why won't you answer me?" Leah was trying hard to keep me out of her mind, my family had shut me out completely but Seth's mind opened up to me and invited me in. Everything went by in a blur and before I could even make sense of it, his sister had slapped him and the distraction worked, Seth was now happily thinking about what he could have for supper. "Please, all I want to know is if he is still alive. Why won't any of you tell me?" Carlisle walked towards me and put his hand on my shoulder, looking me in the eye. "Edward we will tell you everything but you need to hunt first."

I pushed past him and headed downstairs to the lounge where Esme, Jasper and Alice were sitting. Throwing myself into one of the armchairs I refused, "Carlisle I am not going anywhere until one of you tell me what I want to know." Looking around I noticed some of my family were missing, "Where are Bella, Rosalie and Emmett?" I remember seeing something about Bella from Seth as well as knowing that Jacob had stood over my unconscious form. "Jacob and Bella are both dead and Rosalie and Emmett are most probably in Canada." Jasper's words were echoing through my mind.

Jacob and Bella! They're dead as well! How could I let that happen? First Nessie and now them too! I could not protect my own daughter! I was **unconscious** when my wife was killed! And I could not fulfill the promise I made my daughter before she was taken away from me. **Jacob is dead!** What use is my living now? For years I had been alone, even when surrounded by family, then I met Bella and together we created Nessie. I'm all alone once again. Perhaps the Volturi would still be willing to kill me.

"Edward. Edward! EDWARD!" I looked up to see Esme standing over me with a concerned look on her face. "Jasper had no right to tell you like he did." I did not let her continue, "At least he answered my questions, for that I am grateful. It's not like there is anything else that I need to know." She had seated herself next to Carlisle who spoke up, "Perhaps you should see what happened that night from young Jacob's point of view Edward but before we get to that, I would like to know how much you remember?" In a monotone I gave them the shortest version of what had happened that night. "Jacob visited Nessie. I went hunting. Bella went hunting with Rosalie and Alice. I was teaching Nessie Bella's Lullaby. We heard a wolf howl. I dropped Nessie off here. We went to check on the wolves but Bella called. You went to help the girls. I checked the houses but they were empty. Esme called to me because they had taken Nessie. We got her back and then there was a harpoon and a human with a ball of light that he threw at us. Nessie was gone and I was flung into a tree. Everything went black after that." It was painful to think about Nessie, how I wish I could find that bastard and rip him to shreds.

"Edward," Carlisle started, "there is so much that we need to tell you." I nodded, indicating that I understood and would they please just tell me already. "I think its best if one of you showed him what Jacob saw that night." Carlisle said to the Clearwater siblings. They had a quick discussion between the two of them about who would show me and finally decided that they would both do it. They left the room to phase because memories were easier to recall as wolves and then the two of them padded into the room, sitting on their haunches before me. I closed my eyes in preparation of the onslaught, they started the memory at the point where they had come across Paul and progressed from there. Once they were done I sat there with my eyes closed, digesting what I had just learned.

As soon as I had processed everything, I began speaking, "I know that Nessie is gone because I witnessed her death but no one **saw** Jacob die. So how can you just assume that he is dead?" Leah and Seth had returned from phasing back and I demanded of them, "Why . . . **why** aren't you looking for him? How can you just give up on your alpha and friend like that?" All six of them were looking at me strangely, unable to understand my reaction. "EDWARD! There is no need for that! The wolves have searched the whole forest but have found no sign of him. From what Seth and Leah have shown you, I'm sure you now know what Jacob did after you lost consciousness. After checking on you we have no idea what happened to him. It's highly likely that he is in fact dead. Please do not try to interrupt! There is no sign of him leaving the clearing and according to Leah there was a bright light before they lost contact with him. This could mean that he was hit with a ball of light. Some people refuse to believe that he is dead though and are hoping you'll be able to shed light on what might have happened to him."

He paused before continuing, "You have been unconscious for just over a week. You promised not to interrupt!" He said quickly as I opened my mouth. What?!? How is that possible? I wanted to ask but held my tongue as he continued. "After hearing what Leah and Seth saw through Jacob, Bella chased after the humans and confronted their leaders once she had caught up to them. Emmett and Rosalie followed her and according to them, the leaders refused to answer her questions. She then begged them to kill her too because they had taken Renesmee, Jacob and you away from her. I'm sorry son but Bella **is** gone. Your brother and sister left after all the bodies had been taken care of; they needed time to deal with what they saw. Alice has informed them that you are 'awake' and they are heading home." To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. I sat there trying to process all that I had just been told. I have been unconscious for a week, a WHOLE WEEK! Both my wife and daughter are gone! Em and Rose have taken a time out! And Jacob is gone but I don't believe that! Somehow I knew the strange feeling in my chest was connected to him and that he was merely missing. I jumped to my feet and started pacing, at the same time that a truck pulled up outside the house.

It was Sam and Billy Black; Leah must have called them to inform them that I was awake. As they entered the room I turned to greet but the words did not come, Billy Black was a shadow of his former self. He had lost a lot of weight and looked so much older than the last time I had seen him, it must be the constant worry about where Jacob could be and what kind of condition he is in. "Greetings Mister Black, I want you to know that I plan on finding Jacob. No matter how long or where the search takes me. I made a promise to my daughter and I plan on keeping it!" I didn't need to read his mind to know that he was shocked but he seemed to get over it quickly enough. "Edward I would prefer it if you called me Billy. Now I don't know what you promised young Renesmee but it's not necessary for you to look for him. I just have to face facts, there's no way he could still be alive because if he was, he would have contacted me to let me know that he is alright. I merely wanted to express my sincerest condolences to you for the loss of your wife and daughter. And to ask you to please visit Charlie, he hasn't been the same since he found out that Bella was gone. I'm told he hasn't been to work since, he refuses to eat and from the looks of him I doubt he is getting any sleep. Also, now that I have accepted that Jacob . . . that Jacob is truly gone . . ahem . . we will be having a memorial service in his honour. You and your family are welcome to join us if you'd like." He had tears in his eyes and his voice broke when he spoke of Jacob. They didn't stay very much longer, taking Leah and Seth with them.

"Edward, would you please go and hunt now." Carlisle requested. I complied and took off into the forest behind the house, surprised when Alice and Jasper joined me. "Edward," Alice said softly, "it's my fault Bella went off like that. I've never heard of a vampire being unconscious before and it's not like we could check your pulse or whether or not you were breathing. Also when I checked your future I didn't see anything. I should never have said anything. I'm so sorry." "Alice if it was your fault that Bella went after those people then I am also partially to blame because I got no emotions from Edward." I stopped running to look at them, "It's neither of your faults, Bella is a . . . was a strong-willed person. If she wanted to do something, she would do it. I am to blame for the loss of my daughter and wife. It's my duty as husband and father to protect my family, instead I put Nessie in more danger than necessary and because of that I lost Bella as well. Could we please just not talk about this for awhile?"

On our way back we passed the cottage and I felt compelled to stay there tat night, Alice and Jasper obliged and left. Not long after they left Esme appeared, "Edward I don't think it's a good idea for you to be alone. I know that I'm basically telling you that I don't trust you and I'm sorry for that but . . . I won't stand back and watch as my family falls apart. If you want to stay here the night I understand and am willing to stay with you." I walked up to her and wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug, burying my face in her neck whispering, "Esme can I burn it down?" She hugged me back and after a few minutes nodded, "But you will take at least one thing to remember them by and the piano has to be moved back to the main house. Is that alright?" "I don't need anything other than the piano then. Whenever I play Bella's Lullaby I will think of both of them." "Very well, when do you want to do it?" "As soon as possible. "Maybe you should wait till the other two arrive, then it could be us saying goodbye." I let go of her and stepped away before walking towards the piano, "That's fine by me but I think I will move this now. I no longer want to stay here tonight."

For the two days that we waited for Rosalie and Emmett, I was never alone. Seth visited everyday and when he wasn't around it was either Alice or Esme. Jasper said my emotions were too strange and Carlisle had to work. Seth and I spent our time together running through the forest, he knew what I was doing and it pleased me to know that he did not believe Jacob to be dead. I was putting off visiting Charlie because I did not know what I would tell him or talk to him about. On the odd occasion that Leah joined her brother; she would remind me to visit him, no doubt on Billy's instructions. The night Em and Rose returned we congregated before the cottage, I had asked the Clearwater siblings to join us. Jasper doused the house in gasoline and I stood with a burning candle as Carlisle said a few words. Once he was done I touched the flame to the cottage and then we stood back and watched it burn. It was then that I decided that I would visit Charlie the next day and when I was finished with that I would set out to find Jacob. Somehow I knew that I could find him, I just had to follow the tugging in my chest.

The next day I waited for Seth to arrive and then together we set off for the Swan residence. When we got there I had lost my nerve and so the two of us sat in between the trees behind the house. Neither of us said anything, we just sat there. Eventually Seth nudged me with his nose, 'If you don't do it now, I don't think you ever will.' Sighing I nodded in agreement and made my way to the front of the house. Nothing happened when I knocked the first time but when I knocked again I heard movement from inside. Charlie opened the door just a crack to peer out at me before opening it wider so that I may enter. I did not know how to greet him, was he Charlie or Sheriff Swan again, so I didn't say anything and neither did he. He waved his hand in the direction of the couches as he took a seat; I took this as an invitation to sit. We sat in silence, he stared at a photo in his hand of Bella when she was younger and I watched him. I'm not sure how much time went by before he suddenly stood up and headed into the kitchen, where he started preparing himself a meal. I stood as well and headed to the back door, where I paused to look at him. He looked up at me and nodded, I nodded back before leaving through the back door.

As soon as I entered the forest Seth joined me and together we ran through the trees with no direction in mind. When we came to a stop it was in the small clearing in which I had lost my daughter. I laid down on the ground, curling up into the foetal position; Seth joined me, lying next to me so that I could reach a hand out and scratch behind his ears. We stayed like that for awhile before I spoke, "He **is** alive Seth . . . I **know** he is alive . . . I can **feel** it. I don't know how but I do know that Jacob is somewhere and that he is doing well." Seth's ears perked up, 'What do you mean, you can feel it?' he thought curiously. "It's difficult to put into words. All I know is that there is a tugging in my chest, pulling me in a direction that I want to follow. I feel compelled to go in that direction and sometimes, it feels like I am being pulled there bodily. It is extremely weird!"

'How can you tell that it is Jacob?' Leah thought as she stepped out into the clearing. I furrowed my brow, "Who else could it be if not Jacob?" She shrugged which was strange to see because she had two sets of shoulders, 'Seth we have to return to La Push, Sam wants to talk to the two of us.' She was not happy about that and it was evident in the tone of her thoughts. "You don't believe he is dead either! Leah, I am setting out tomorrow to find him. I was just about to invite Seth to join me, would you like to join us?" 'When exactly tomorrow?' She asked softly, Seth was already rolling on the ground in happiness. "Tomorrow at sunrise, we can meet up here before heading out." She just nodded before running off into the trees; Seth approached me and licked my cheek, 'I believe you when you say that you can find him.' before running after his sister.

The sun was rising and already I was itching to leave, if they did not arrive before the sun broke free of the horizon I would leave without them. They arrived not long after that thought, Leah on Seth's back; it was then that I noticed the tugging change into something else. "I don't think we need to go anywhere." They were both confused by my words. "Jacob is coming home!"

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Author's note: I apologise profusely for the lateness of these chapters! I finished them in last week but my beta has been unable to go through them. She is going through a bit of a funk and her cat died a few days ago, I am a cat person myself so I sympathise. So, if there are mistakes they are my own and I apologise in advance. I have not yet started on the next chapter but rest assured that it is there in my mind, waiting to spring forth onto the screen.

I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed these chapters and will see fit to leave a review. :D I do so love them!

Also a **_BIG_** thank you to those who have reviewed, I truly appreciate it.


	5. Chapter 5 Jake's Charge

Chapter 5 – Jake's Charge

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JB POV

Jacob sat staring at the building from the shadows of an alley, he didn't remember how he had gotten there, but now that he was here he had to take the next step. As he made his way around to the back of the apartment building he had his doubts as to whether she was awake at this hour. Crouching behind a dumpster, he peered up to where he knew she lived; surprisingly there were lights on. So he made his way up the fire escape as quickly as he could and carefully moved towards her bedroom window. Judging from the moans of the metal beneath his feet, it was obvious the landing had not been made to accommodate the weight of a full grown werewolf. He tapped as gently as he could with his paw on the window, listening for movement in the room.

There was the rustle of clothing and then the curtain was pulled aside slowly, so that she could peer out of the window; he did not fail to notice the baseball bat in her other hand. She gasped when she saw him, then flashed him a big smile before pulling the curtains away completely and opened the window as wide as it could go, then stepped out of the way so that he could squeeze through. "Go wait in the bathroom; I'll fetch something for you to wear. Oh and please shower, you reek!" scrunching up her nose as she spoke before walking out of the room. He padded softly into the small bathroom, careful not to knock into anything. She returned soon enough, placing the clothes on the toilet seat saying as she did, "I'll be in the kitchen making you something to eat; knowing you, you're probably hungry. Take your time Jake." She closed the door as she walked out and he phased immediately, relieved that he was no longer squished and then stepped into the shower. As he stood beneath the flowing water, he remembered the last time he had showered and all that had happened since then. Surprisingly there was no real pain at the recollection; there was just a dull ache, as if something were missing.

He grimaced as he had to use her lavender shower gel and, some kind of flower, shampoo; even his clothes smelled floral, it was wreaking havoc on his sense of smell. Once fully dressed, he walked towards the kitchen barefoot and stood leaning against the wall, watching her. He felt bad for not visiting her sooner like he had promised but he had been so caught up in Nessie that he hadn't made the time to pop in. Rachel had changed in the past year, which was to be expected, she seemed softer. She looked healthy and happy, which was what she deserved after everything she had had to go through.

She looked up then, smiling when she caught his eye "So why did you run this time Jake?" she asked curiously. Looking out of the window, he tried to decide what he should tell her and at the same time he remembered the last time he had been here, of all that had happened in those few days that he had stayed here before returning to La Push and of everything that had happened after that. "I'm . . I'm not sure actually, I don't seem to remember what happened." Jacob lied, looking at her to see her reaction. "Maybe you should phone home to find out." She suggested as she placed his food on the counter; he sat down gently on the barstool, remembering with a smile how he had broken one of them the last time. "It's not funny Jake," she slapped him gently on the shoulder as she placed a glass of juice in front of him, "Liana managed to break one too, so now I'm down to just two barstools. I should make you replace them!" She gave him a look; standing feet apart, hands on hips, one eyebrow raised. He wasn't sure if she was joking or not but she definitely wasn't scaring him. Smirking he retorted, "You don't even like the things; so really, I was doing you a favour!"

He watched as she looked around, probably looking for some kind of weapon with which to hit him with, when a baby crying disturbed the quiet and she hurried to the smaller of the two bedrooms. He ate quickly, listening to the sounds of her seeing to the little one's needs. He was rinsing his dishes when she reappeared in the room, "She fell asleep again, otherwise I would've introduced you to her." She had pillows and sheets in her arms, "I'll get the couch ready for you. There's a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. It's purple!" She was grinning as she walked away and it made him smile, he really was glad that she was happy. After going through his nightly ritual, Jacob lay down on the too small couch and soon fell asleep to the sounds of a foreign city.

It was to the smell of breakfast, scrambled eggs and toast that he awoke. Confused he wondered why his dad was making breakfast until he remembered where he was. Getting up he pulled on the t-shirt that was lying nearby; there was someone else in the apartment, currently in the kitchen, going into a hushed rant. He moved silently to stand behind Liana before wrapping his arms around her and lifted her off the floor. At first she had tensed in shock and surprise before screeching at him to release her. As soon as the noise had begun, Rachel spun around to scowl at them both, "Eva is sleeping!" Sheepishly he put Liana down before kissing his older sister on her cheek in apology. She continued to scowl at him as she pointed at the food set out on the counter, "There's your breakfast Jake." He seated himself before the food and ate eagerly while she rushed around the apartment getting her things ready for the day. Oh how he had missed her cooking!

By the time he had finished eating, Liana had left with Eva and Rachel looked about ready to leave herself. Instead she came to stand next to him as he cleaned the dishes, "I don't know how long you are planning to stay Jacob, just know that you can stay as long as you need. Also, I think you should contact Dad to let him know that you are safe and unharmed. Also, I don't think I told you but Liana looks after Eva while I am at work, she says its fine if you came round to her apartment to spend time with your niece. I know you and Liana had some chemistry between you the last time but please don't do anything dumb. She is the closest thing to family I have out here and I need her. I have to get to work now, so I will see you later." She kissed him on the cheek before hurrying out of the apartment. Belatedly he remembered that he had never told Rachel about Nessie, perhaps that was a good thing, he would just keep her in the dark about everything that had happened. She had enough on her plate as it was.

Not wanting to think about what had happened to Nessie; he tidied up the lounge before taking a quick shower and dressing himself, once again the clothes were floral scented. There was nothing to do in the apartment, so he headed downstairs to Liana's to spend time with his niece. Liana lived alone in a two bedroom apartment a floor below Rachel; she used the bigger of the two rooms as her studio. As far as he knew, her parents were rich so she didn't have to work instead she was a struggling artist; painting any and everything. He had met her the last time he had sought refuge with his sister and had approved of her immediately because she was so supportive of Rachel. It had been a shock to learn that Rachel was pregnant but Liana promised to help no matter what. It was a comforting thought to know that Eva was being taken care of by someone who was practically family.

_H_S_

Over the next few days, Jacob spent time with Eva in Liana's presence, so that she could teach him everything he needed to know to look after his niece by himself. At the end of the week, he volunteered to babysit so that Rachel and Liana could go out for the night. They were very appreciative of his gesture and so cooked him the best Sunday lunch he had had in years to say thanks. It was later that night, after Liana had left and Eva was asleep in her cot that Rachel brought up the topic of why he was there. "Jake did you call Dad to find out what might have happened to make you run again?" Jacob hated lying to her but he still wasn't ready to discuss that night. "I phoned him the other day and he said it might be the fact that Bella had a daughter by that bloodsucker and was now a vampire herself." He looked away from her as his stomach turned; for the first time he wondered how Bells was handling the loss of Nessie. Maybe he should phone home and find out how things were going. His thoughts were interrupted by Rachel throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight. "Oh Jacob! I'm so sorry! I know how much Isabella meant to you. If you want, and if Dad will allow, you can move in here permanently. I could share with Eva and -" "Rachel I appreciate the offer but no thanks. I **have **to go back! Dad says the reason I left is because . . . . because Renesmee, Bella's daughter, is my imprint." Jacob felt physically sick; he could not understand why he had not told her the truth. Not giving her a chance to react, he left the apartment as quickly as he could.

Rachel found him the next morning watching Eva sleep, "Jacob?" she whispered, and when he looked up at her, she jerked her head in the direction of the kitchen. After one last glance at his niece he left the room and followed his sister. "How long are you planning on staying Jacob?" she enquired as she set about making breakfast. "I don't know sis. I don't really want to go back . . . . but I have to! It's as if I am being pulled back to La Push by my imprint and I cannot ignore it!" As his words sank in, Jacob realised the truth of it. There **was** a tugging in his chest but how could that be! Nessie was gone and with her the bonds of imprinting. "Jacob. Jacob! JACOB!" Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked at Rachel curiously. "As I was saying ", she muttered, glaring at him "perhaps you could wait till next week and then Eva and I can go home with you." He stared at her in shock, "What?!?! If you go home to La Push with me, you're going to have to tell Dad everything! Are you really up to it?" "Yes I am. I know Dad, he won't hold it against Eva and that's all I want, for Eva to grow up knowing her grandfather." The look on her face told him everything he needed to know, "Alright, we will go back to La Push together."

After breakfast, Jacob did all that he needed to before getting Eva ready for their outing. He had gotten permission from his sister; Liana had agreed as well but her opinion didn't matter as much; to take Eva out for the day. Their first stop was the garage he had worked at the last time he had been here, the guys had made him promise to visit and so he would. After that, they were going to have lunch in the nearby park before heading towards the nearest shopping mall. He was hoping to find something to give Rachel as a gift, to thank her for everything she had done for him. One thing he had not been expecting, was to be watched by almost every female in the building. And thanks to his enhanced hearing, he discovered that they were impressed by the fact that he was out alone with his 'daughter'. Of course some of them also commented on his good looks and muscular build which he found embarrassing.

Before heading home to cook dinner as a surprise for Rachel, he sat in the food court eating an ice-cream and watched the people around him while Eva slept. He wondered if this was how the _leech_ felt but of course Jacob could only hear what they were saying whereas _he_ could hear their thoughts. It was such an invasion of privacy! He was still deep in thought when the cellphone rang, he was using Rachel's today so that she had a way of contacting him; a glance at the screen showed Liana's name. "Hey Li, what's up?" Her voice was thick when she answered and she seemed to be gasping for air. "Jake . . there's been an accident. Rach is in the ER, the doctor says it doesn't look good. Please come, I . . . we need you!" As soon as Jacob had heard the word accident, he made his way to the exit. Flagging down a taxi, he promised to be there as soon as possible.

It didn't take long to get to the local hospital; Liana was waiting for him outside and as soon as he had paid the driver he was hugging her the best he could. She waved her hand in the direction of the building and together they entered. They were hardly in the waiting room when a doctor approached them; his scrubs were bloody and to Jacob's were-enhanced nose, it smelled of his sister. He didn't need the man to tell him the news was bad, it was written all over him – the expression on his face, the slump of his shoulders but mostly it was the look in his eyes. Not waiting for the inevitable, Jacob wrapped his arms around Liana and held her as tight as possible. She burst into tears while the doctor offered his condolences.

After that, the next two days were all a blur. Rachel had a good funeral cover, the funeral home organised everything while he looked after Liana and Eva. He found it amazing how someone who understood so little of the world could sense the somberness, could somehow know that an important part of her life was gone. Eva was such a good girl during those days leading up to and including the day of the funeral. The day itself consisted of a morning service at a nearby church, most of Rachel's colleagues had attended, as well as Liana's family and the guys from the garage. After that; Jacob, Liana and Eva attended the cremation. She had requested that she be cremated so that her ashes could be scattered in La Push. At the end of the day, they returned to the apartment; Liana was carrying a sleeping Eva and Jacob was carrying the urn which held the remains of his beloved sister. Jacob knew that he would have to go home now but what of Eva?

_H_S_

The lawyer had shown up the next day to read Rachel's will. He had contacted Liana the day after the accident, who had informed him that Jacob was in town; apparently he had to be there. Jacob and Eva had stopped for the night at some motel, they were just about halfway to La Push now and the tugging at his chest had become less insistent but more frequent. As he put her to sleep, he could not believe that he was now her legal guardian. The lawyer, a Mrs. Buchanan, said Rachel had insisted he be named guardian despite how young he was. And that he shouldn't worry about her biological father claiming her because he had signed away all rights as a father.

They set out early the next morning, he did not want to arrive in La Push late in the day. The lawyer had asked him for his banking details, apparently all Rach's money was going to him as well, so that he could care for Eva properly. He was relieved to hear that all Rachel's affairs were in order, Mrs. Buchanan had taken care of everything; all he had to do was sign a few papers regarding the apartment. Obviously he didn't need it, so the lease agreement had to be cancelled and the rent taken care of as well; because the furniture had belonged to his sister, it now belonged to him. Liana had been sad that both he and Eva would be leaving soon, and that once again she would be friendless. The second part of the will was to do with Liana; Rachel had left her a letter, a rather thick one which she clutched to her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. The lawyer left after that and he thought perhaps Li would stay for dinner but she too, without a word to him, left.

Pulling in at a gas station, Jacob refueled the moving van he had rented; one of the guys at the garage had organised it for him. He had kept all Eva's furniture, allowing Liana first pick of everything else and thereafter anyone else interested. The things no-one wanted were given away, he didn't think Rachel would approve of him selling the stuff. It had been a teary afternoon when Liana and Vera, Rachel's best friend at work, had cleared away her things. He had allowed them to keep whatever they wanted, except for a few pieces of jewellery and a jewellery box his father had bought; those he put aside for Eva. On the morning of their departure, Liana had cried – again – she held onto him as if her life depended on it. After promising to visit her if she promised to visit them, he strapped Eva into her car seat before climbing into the van himself. He was glad to finally leave, the place held too many conflicting memories; much like the place he was heading to.

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Dear Reader

I am terribly sorry for taking so long with this chapter but things came up. First I was suffering from WB (writer's block). Then our pc went in for an upgrade, which took ages to complete and **then **there was a problem with our software. Lastly, due to afore-mentioned software problems, our internet connection was down. Thankfully, all problems seem to have disappeared.

I think I have to mention that I will be studying this year, so you can expect delays in the updating of my fics. I PROMISE though that I will finish what I have started.

Thank you so much for your patience and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Just so you know; I have started on the next one already.

Have a good week! (I'm hoping to update within a week -_keep your fingers crossed-_)

_heavenly_shades_

PS :D A review would be lovely!


	6. Chapter 6 Alice's Possession

Chapter 6 – Alice's Possession

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EC POV

Edward was perched within the top branches of a tree within Quileute land. He had felt Jacob getting closer and so had tried to make his way as close to the Black residence as he could without being seen; only stopping now that he could hear everything being said within the house. Billy, Leah and Seth seemed unaware of Jacob's imminent arrival, so he sat back and listened to his surroundings with both his ears and his mind.

Hearing the crunch of tires as a vehicle pulled up in front of the house, he focused on it. 'Maybe I should have contacted Dad or one of the Clearwater siblings just to let them know I was okay.' It was definitely Jacob's thoughts and, not for the first time he wondered why the wolf had not contacted his family or where he had been? He could hear movement within the house and figured that either Seth or Leah had noticed Jacob's arrival and had informed Billy Black.

"Jacob Black, where have you been? Do you know what it's like thinking your only son had been brutally murdered by savage humans?!? I hope you have a perfectly good explanation for staying away and not contacting us? And don't for a moment think that I will forgive you easily just because you decided to come back!"

"**Dad! **Maybe if you gave me a chance to speak, I could explain everything to you. Can't we rather go inside; I don't really want to have this conversation out here." In the distance, Edward could hear the other pack approaching, there thoughts all over the place. He was thankful the wind was blowing towards him, that way they would not be able to smell or find him. "Who's that Jake?"

The question brought him back to what was happening not too far away from him. "This Seth; is Evangeline Black." He could hear the pride in Jacob's voice and could just about imagine the smile that would be playing on his lips. Wait! WHAT? "But she prefers Eva." The last part had been said softly, endearingly.

Edward's heart, or what he supposed was his heart, sank at Jacob's words. Jumping softly from the tree, he ran off in the direction of home, his mind in turmoil. Why did he feel betrayed? What did it matter to him if Jacob had met someone while he was gone and had gotten married? Why did it bother him so much? What Jacob did had no effect on him, so why was he angry? And just like that he remembered why he was so caught up in Jacob and where he had been; why he had been so worried, why he felt like he did.

Jacob had moved on so quickly from Nessie! Surely he should be devastated and unable to live without his imprint. His other half had been killed, and he shows up married!?! Edward was so furious, he was contemplating marching back and ripping the shapeshifter to shreds; when he heard a baby crying in the distance and 'I hope she isn't scared of Dad, he is her grandfather after all!'

Grandfather!Does that mean? It couldn't! Turning, Edward made his way back to that tree; he scaled it easily before jumping from it to land softly on a nearby roof. Slowly he made his way to the edge and peeked over; there was Jacob crouching by his father with a baby in his arms. There were no strange women in the vicinity, only the other shapeshifters, which meant that the child in Jacob's arms . . . was Eva. Evangeline Black was NOT Jacob's wife; she was his **daughter**!

Again Edward fled, this time making his way to the small clearing in which he had lost **his **daughter. Stopping suddenly, he dropped to the ground and curled up into himself. Why did he feel like this? Why did the fact that Jacob had a daughter of his own, with some unknown woman, make him feel even more betrayed than before?

_H_S_

JB POV

Jacob's palms were sweating as he took the turn which lead into La Push. 'Maybe I should have contacted Dad or one of the Clearwater siblings just to let them know I was okay.' Glancing down at the seat next to him, he saw that Eva was asleep; he just hoped that his father wouldn't overreact.

It was quite strange how the closer he got to Forks, the stronger the tugging in his chest got; he just couldn't understand what it was. As he entered La Push, driving past the first few houses, he had to pull over to the side of the road. It had felt as if he were being physically yanked towards the house, looking out the window he could see nothing. After a few minutes of breathing deeply, he felt better and continued driving towards his home.

After pulling up in front of the house and as he was getting out his father, Leah and Seth came out onto the porch. From the look on his father's face, he knew he was in loads of trouble. Billy Black didn't wait for his son to get out of the van properly before yelling at him. "Jacob Black, where have you been? Do you know what it's like thinking your only son had been brutally murdered by savage humans? I hope you have a perfectly good explanation for staying away and not contacting us? And don't for a moment think that I will forgive you easily because you decided to come back!"

Not willing to stand there and be yelled at, Jacob yelled back. "**Dad!** Maybe if you gave me a chance to speak, I could explain everything to you. Can't we rather go inside; I don't really want to have this conversation out here." He could feel the eyes of the neighbours on them and could hear the other wolf pack approaching. Turning back to the van, he picked Eva up and as he emerged he heard Seth ask, "Who's that Jake?"

Smiling he held her out just a little for them to see as he replied, "This Seth; is Evangeline Black but she prefers Eva." His niece chose that moment to wake up; kneeling by his father, he was about to introduce her to him properly when she burst into tears. 'I hope she isn't scared of Dad, he is her grandfather after all!' Standing, he gently started rocking to and fro in the hopes of calming her.

"She's probably hungry son." Nodding his agreement to his father's words, he removed her baby bag from the van. "Is it okay if we went inside Dad? I need to make on a fresh bottle for her." His father turned his wheelchair around and headed inside, stopping at the door to speak to the wolves. "I'd appreciate it if the rest of you gave us some privacy. Jacob has a lot of explaining to do, he can show you lot later." Jacob followed his father quickly; he hated it when Eva cried. Closing the front door behind him, he made his way into the kitchen; both to prepare a bottle for Eva and to face his father.

"You will not say anything while I speak, you owe me that much." Billy took a deep breath before speaking again. "I am so disappointed in you son! I thought I raised you to be a better man than this. Judging from the age of the child, I suppose you got her mother pregnant the last time you ran away. **NO! You** don't get to say anything, just listen dammit! I don't know what you expect from me, just showing up here with her. We can hardly support ourselves, how are we going to raise a little girl! And what of her mother, is she also going to show up looking for help? Or did she abandon her child? I wouldn't be surprised if she did, chil-" "**SHE'S RACHEL'S DAUGHTER AND RACHEL IS DEAD!" **Silence followed.

_H_S_

AC POV

Alice was worried; it was understandable because she could no longer see Edward's future. So she kept a close eye on him; watching his every move since he regained consciousness. He spent a lot of time with the youngest shapeshifter, Seth; which was probably why she couldn't see his future. They spent their time together running through the forest surrounding Forks, searching for signs of Jacob. They were convinced he was still alive; just this once she wished she could see the futures of the wolves, then maybe she could ease her brother's anxiety.

What worried her most was that Edward seemed oblivious to the fact that she was following him. As a vampire, he was meant to always be aware of his surroundings! But because of this obsession with finding Jacob, he did not seem to care about his own well being. At least she knew that Seth would keep him safe; despite his youth, he was very mature when it came to the whole vampire versus shapeshifter thing.

It was a few days after Edward had met with the Clearwater siblings in the early hours of the morning and two days before the memorial service for Jacob that she watched him venture onto Quileute land. Scared of what might happen if she followed and accidentally drew attention to them both, she climbed a tree on the edge of La Push and waited, hoping Edward wasn't doing anything foolish.

She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there when Jasper joined her. "Love, it has been awhile since you have hunted, please go hunting with me. I know you are worried about Edward but he can look after himself. Please!" It was rare that Jazz begged her for anything and she just couldn't say 'no' to him, so she left her perch in the tree to hunt alongside her husband.

_H_S_

Returning home that night, her blood lust sated, she found out that her brother had not returned. Marching up to Carlisle's study, she calmly informed him that she had last seen Edward heading into La Push and that none of the others had seen him since. Worried that the wolves might have found and killed him, Carlisle called Billy Black to get answers. By this time the rest of the family had joined them in the study and now stood watching and listening as Carlisle spoke to Billy.

"So Edward was right, the mutt is alive." Emmett rumbled as Carlisle ended the call. "Yes, although Billy did not sound as happy as he should be. Also, none of the wolves came across Edward today; not even Seth has seen him." At that moment, they all heard the front door open and footsteps head up the stairs. As one they rushed out into the passage to see Edward head into his room. "I guess we can stop worrying about our little brother now." Emmett said as he headed downstairs.

Alice was not so sure that everything was okay with Edward because after checking, she still could not see his future. So she made a promise to herself to continue following him around until his future was visible to her once more. Making her way to his room, she knocked gently on his door before pushing it open further so that she could fit through. Edward was stretched out on his couch, staring at the ceiling. "Edward is something wrong?" she enquired softly but it was as if he did not hear her. So with a frown marring her pretty face, she returned to the room she shared with her husband and spent the rest of the night worrying about her brother.

_H_S_

The following day, near sunset, Alice found herself sitting in a tree once again; this time she was watching Edward as he lie in the middle of a clearing, curled up in the foetal position.** "Alice." **A voice boomed inside of her head so suddenly she jerked from surprise, rocking the tree.** "Do not be afraid, Alice. I only wish to ask something of you." **Searching the surroundings she questioned the voice, "Who are you? How are you talking to me in my head? What do you want?"** "I am the only person who is fully aware of the situation you, your family and the shapeshifters of La Push find yourselves in. I only wish to make things better but in order for me to do that; I will need to take control of your body." **"How am I supposed to trust you if I know nothing about you? And what exactly do you mean 'take control of my body'?"** "You must have faith young Alice, faith that what I say is true. In time you will understand everything and you will see that I am to be trusted but right now I need your body. I fear that time is running out and my attempt at making things better has actually made things a lot worse." **Going on her instincts alone (for some reason she could not look into the future), Alice allowed the voice to take control of her mind. It was the strangest sensation ever, being shoved into the recesses of one's own mind.

**Jumping from the tree, I approached Edward slowly. **"Edward, I was hoping you would accompany me to Carlisle; I have seen your future and I think it would be better if I told you in his presence." **At first he paid me no attention but the moment I mentioned his future he looked at me with rapt attention. I did not wait for a response before taking off for the Cullen residence; in the distance I could hear the vampire following. Good! Now to get Carlisle Cullen to do my bidding.**

**Reaching the house, I ran straight for his study where he sat behind his desk reading through medical reports. As I rushed in, he jumped to his feet, **"Alice! Is something wrong? Edward hasn't done anythi- Edward! Would one of you please tell me what is going on?" **he finished as Edward joined us.** "Carlisle I have seen a glimpse of Edward's future. It's set several weeks from now and all the questions we have about everything that has happened has been answered. In my vision, Edward says that the two of you, Billy Black and Jacob Black met a Being of Light who explained everything. Tonight is the night of that meeting and, if I remember correctly, it's meant to be held in the old cemetery." **As I spoke, Edward paced the room but Carlisle calmly seated himself again. **"But how does this come about? How do we know that we have to meet this person in the meadow? And how are Billy and Jacob going to know to meet us there?" **I thought Carlisle Cullen was brilliant! Surely there have been similar cases; times when they bring something about based purely on what Alice has seen! **"You should call Billy Black and ask him to meet us in the cemetery Carlisle. If you explain what Alice has seen, he will meet with us." **Edward suggested from the doorway before leaving to his room; this was my opportunity to get Carlisle to contact Billy. **"I agree with Edward; if you do not contact them, how will they know." **Carlisle** **just nodded his head before reaching for his phone and dialling the Black residence.**

_H_S_

JB POV

Jacob was putting Eva to bed when the phone rang, he could hear Leah answer it in the other room. Since returning home, Leah and Seth had not once let him out of their sights; at this very moment Seth sat on his window sill watching him. The door was pushed open slowly and Leah put her head around it "Your dad is on the phone with Carlisle Cullen, he shooed me out of the room as soon as he knew who it was." At the mention of the vampires, the knot that had formed in Jacob's stomach yesterday tightened. "Jacob what do you think they are talking about?" "I don't know Leah, Dad hasn't spoken to me since yesterday." All three pairs of eyes rested on the sleeping child.

"Jacob." His father was calling him softly; looking down at Eva before glancing at Leah and Seth he nodded before leaving his room; he knew they would watch over her as well as he did. After leaving his room he headed towards the lounge but heard his father's wheelchair in his own bedroom, so he changed his course and headed there instead. On entering the room he noticed that his father was changing into warmer clothes. "What did the leech say; is something wrong?" Billy looked up at his son; he had matured during the time he was away, before speaking. "Carlisle has requested that the two of us meet him and Edward in the old cemetery, apparently they have information about what happened two weeks ago." "Dad, do you really want to meet up with two leeches in an old cemetery at night? What if this is some plot-" "Jacob, you know as well as I do that the Cullen's mean us no harm. Now go get done and meet me at the truck; I have asked Sue to stay here with her children to look after Eva. Be quick!"

Jacob did as he was told, taking the time to explain what was happening to the Clearwater siblings. He was surprised when he asked Seth to phase (just in case this was part of some plot) and both Seth and Leah were against the idea; they _trusted_ the leeches! The drive to and walk through the cemetery was quiet, neither of them knowing what to say to the other. Jacob was too distracted to even think about smoothing things over with his father, not only was he worried that the leeches were up to something. But the knot in his stomach and the pressure in his chest seemed to be letting up; something intense was about to happen, he just knew it. Eventually they reached the very center of the cemetery; Carlisle was standing on the other side of the small clearing and Edward was perched on one of the tombstones. Jacob watched him as they approached and when their eyes met – the world stood still, everything faded into nothingness and there was only the two of them; until someone cleared their throat.

_H_S_

EC POV

Soon after entering his room, Edward left through one of his windows. He didn't like being in the house, it held too many memories and it wasn't like there was anything for him to do. So he spent most of his time outside, in the forest, amongst the trees but mostly he would lie in the clearing where he had lost Nessie. Of course he also had that strange pressure in his chest, the one which seemed to know Jacob's movements; the one that had him want to enter La Push land again and march into the Black residence, to do what he did not know but he fought the urge. He had come to the decision that no matter what he would stay away from Jacob, he was afraid that he might do something that he would regret.

He had been running in a wide circle around the Forks and La Push area and finally came to a stop in the cemetery. He figured that he might as well wait for the others to arrive; he could definitely use the time to compose himself so that when he saw the shapeshifter, he did not rip his heart out. He still could not believe that the mutt had showed up with a child, **his** **child!** Judging from what he had seen of her, she must have been conceived during the time he had been gone before. How could he go on like nothing had happened during that time? Unless he had not known that what he had done had created a life. That would mean it had been an accident, a one night stand! Maybe he had gotten drunk and then – NO! He was not going to think about that! Edward was about to start running again when Carlisle showed up.

"Oh good, I'm glad you're here already, I tried your cell but you left it at home." Edward just nodded his head before seating himself on one of the nearby tombstones and stared off into the distance. He heard the truck pull up and felt the pressure in his chest ease up a bit as Jacob and his father approached. He wondered a bit at what that might mean but couldn't dwell on it long because he felt eyes on him. Looking up, he caught Jacob's eye and – the world stood still, everything faded into nothingness and there was only the two of them; until someone cleared their throat.

_H_S_

AC POV

**Clearing my throat, I walked into the clearing; Edward and Jacob both looked up at me in surprise, they had been so caught up in each other they hadn't heard me approach. **"Alice what are you doing here?" **Carlisle** **wanted to know. **"I am here **because I have to be Carlisle. You see I am not Alice, I am the Being of Light and I have come to explain a few things." The looks of shock were almost amusing. "Please, we do not have all night. Unless there are any objections, I would like to start." I gave them a few minutes to let everything sink in and to allow them time to think of any questions they might have for me. When it looked like they had none, I began my explanation.**

"**It is my duty as a Being of Light to maintain the balance between the Light and Darkness. If the Darkness shows signs of wanting to tilt the scales in their favour, we step in and stop them. The humans who attacked you two weeks ago were working for the Darkness; either one of the strongest Beings had commissioned it or a group of Beings did. I say this because of the great numbers of humans involved and the fact that they were granted powers of their own. They were clever about the attack; causing a commotion to distract the Light, so that their minions could attack here unhindered. You see the goal of the attack was to kill your daughter Edward; the death of Renesmee Cullen. They wanted her dead because they were scared of any children she may have had with you, Jacob."**

**This statement really shook them up, all four of them saying things I was not interested in hearing. Eventually they simmered down when they realised I did not care about what they had to say. When they were quiet once more, Edward and Jacob were both glaring at me, I continued. "As soon as I realised what was happening, I made my way here but I was already too late. The blast of energy was already flying towards Renesmee, so without thinking about the consequences I acted; I did the best I could given the situation to salvage things. But what I did was not ideal and there is no way of correcting it. I'm sure once you know what I did; you will see where the problem lies." I did not want to tell them the rest but I had to, they needed to know what they were in for.**

"**I needed to ensure that any children Renesmee would have carried for Jacob would still be born, so I gave Edward her reproductive system." **"You did what?!?!" **Edward looked as if he wanted to grind me into dust, the others were too shocked to speak. "You have your daughter's reproductive system Edward, although it will only show up when it is needed. ****Please let me say what I need to say! ****It is said that one of Renesmee and Jacob's children will bring down the Darkness' most powerful creation. That child needs to be born!" **"But why me? Why couldn't you do this to someone else?" "**You were the only one there and the transfer had to be done immediately or else it would not have worked." **"So what you are saying is that the leech and I – no, this is just too damn weird. How the hell is he going to have children? How – oh my god! I think I'm going to throw up." **It would seem that Jacob has finally caught on. "I'm running out of time; you have no idea how many rules I am breaking just to explain this to you. The two of you will mate as a normal couple, Edward will fall pregnant like a normal human woman, the duration and symptoms will be different but the birth will be the same. It won't be a permanent thing; it will only be until the child is born."**

"Are you alright?" "It's me Carlisle, Alice, I'm okay." Carlisle helped his daughter to her feet, and then looked at the others. "Now what?"

* * *

Dear Reader

Holy cow have I been busy! So sorry its taken me so long to update. _It's been three weeks of tertiary education hell! _I don't know when I'm supposed to find time to write! :) At the moment I'm doing this instead of assignments! I am so in trouble but who cares, my happiness comes first! Please understand if this sucks, especially the ending, it is kinda rushed cos I wanted to get it out as soon as possible.

Thank you so much for your patience and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

_heavenly_shades_

PS :D A review would be lovely!


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